Rules Explorer
Read the party's Bylaws and Standing Rules. See where they fall short of the law and the state party rules. Compare them, section by section, with a model rewrite.
At a glance
- 2 versions of each document: the current rules and the model rules.
- 108 topics line the two up: 39 in the Bylaws and 69 in the Standing Rules.
- 219 issues found in the current rules, 10 of them rated High.
- 16 topics are new in the model.
What this is
The Executive Committee runs the county party under two documents: the Bylaws and the Standing Rules. It re-adopted both for 2026-2028 on June 22, 2026.
This site sets the adopted text beside a model rewrite. Each topic has a short note. The note says what the rule does, what is wrong with the current text, how the model handles it, and why. Each claim that rests on a source cites it, and every cited source is on the Sources page.
The model is a proposal. It has not been adopted.
Why these changes
The model's changes follow 8 aims. Open an aim to see examples. Each example links to the topic in the reader, with the current text and the model shown as a redline.
Close ambiguities
Where a current rule can be read two ways, the topic note shows both readings. The model then states one plain rule.
- The current 10-day notice rule covers "any such meeting". The model sets one 10-day rule for every meeting, however it is called, with a short list of exceptions. Regular meetings
- The current office-space rule does not say whose certification starts its exception. The model names the nominee. Campaign office space
Follow the law
The model follows state law and the RPT Rules. It reads state law as it validly applies to the party under the United States Constitution, and it sets up the district committees the Election Code creates.
- The Bylaws yield to state law and the RPT Rules, and an unconstitutional statute does not bind the party. Authority of the Bylaws
- For a House District wholly inside the county, the HD Committee is the district executive committee that fills a vacancy in the party's nomination for state representative. House District committees
Follow Robert's Rules
Robert's Rules expects some rules to be in the bylaws. The model puts them there, often as a short pointer that leaves the detail to the Standing Rules, which are easier to change.
- The quorum is stated once, in the Bylaws, where Robert's Rules places it. Quorum
- The fiscal year is in the Bylaws, because Robert's Rules otherwise dates the annual financial report at December 31. Fiscal year
One home for each rule
Each rule is stated in one place. Other sections point to it instead of repeating it, so the two documents cannot drift apart.
- The Standing Rules do not restate the quorum. The Bylaws set it, and the rules that need it point there. Quorum in the Standing Rules
- Terms are defined once, in the Bylaws, and the Standing Rules use the same meanings. Governing rules and defined terms
Plain language
The model follows a standard contract-drafting style. "Shall" states a duty, "may" a choice, and each defined term has one meaning.
- "Officer" is defined once and covers each officer the County Chair nominates or appoints under BL 4.01. Appointed officers
- The committee that makes a replacement nomination has one defined name, the "nominating committee". Replacement nominations
Clear authority, less process
The model says who decides each matter. It leaves committees and teams to run their own work.
- The County Chair may appoint committees, and the Executive Committee may also create one by its own motion. Temporary committees
- The County Chair may remove an Officer, and so may the Executive Committee, by a 2/3 vote at a meeting whose notice states the removal. Terms of office
Members' rights
Members get notice of each meeting, a way to call one by petition, and a fallback when a call is not made.
- If the County Chair does not act in time on a request for a special meeting, the Precinct Chairs who asked may call it themselves. Special meetings
- Any member of the Executive Committee may attend a committee meeting, speak to the committee, and record it outside executive session. Open committee meetings
Sources shown
Each rule that carries out state law is marked with a dagger (†). The State Law Source Notes name the statute behind each mark.
- The rules for filling a vacancy on the Executive Committee carry the mark where state law sets the rule. Filling vacancies
- The notes list each marked rule and the kind of requirement behind it. State Law Source Notes
Download the model rules
The model text is available as a Word file and as a PDF. Word numbers the articles, sections and subsections itself, so the numbering stays right when you edit. Both files end with the state law source notes, which are not part of the rules.
The model has not been adopted.
The 3 biggest problems
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The Bylaws claim to override state law
On party governance, the Bylaws say they take precedence over the Election Code and the Texas Constitution. The RPT Rules adopt the Texas Constitution and allow county bylaws only where they do not conflict with a higher authority.
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Some quorums are lower than the law sets
The Standing Rules make "those members present" the quorum for statutory business. The Election Code requires a majority of the membership to take part in filling a County Chair vacancy, and a majority quorum for a replacement nomination.
County Chair vacancy · EC 171.024(b) · EC 145.036(d) · Issues C-009 and C-010
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The rules on calling meetings have gaps
The Bylaws have no section on special meetings. Only the Standing Rules give the County Chair the power to call one. Robert's Rules allows special meetings only as the bylaws authorize, so whether that power is valid is an open question, and so is the validity of any special meeting. The 10-day notice rule for regular meetings covers "any such meeting", which most naturally means only a meeting called by member demand. A meeting the County Chair calls may then need only a reasonable time.
Special meetings · Regular meetings · RONR 9:14 · Issues C-003 and C-002
The 3 biggest fixes in the model
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The Bylaws yield to the law
BL 8.01 says the Bylaws supplement state law and the RPT Rules and are read to agree with them. Where a Bylaw conflicts with either, state law or the RPT Rules govern.
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One quorum rule, with the statutory quorums written in
BL 5.07 keeps the 1/4 quorum for ordinary business. It then states each quorum the statutes set: for a County Chair vacancy, a Precinct Chair vacancy, and a replacement or special election nomination. The Standing Rules point to it.
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Clear rules for calling a meeting
BL 5.03 gives the County Chair the power to call a special meeting for urgent business and requires one on the written request of 1/4 of the Precinct Chairs or 50, whichever is fewer. Only business named in the notice may be done. BL 5.08 requires 10 days' notice of every meeting, whoever calls it. It lists the few exceptions, such as 3 days when an election-law deadline cannot wait.
Issues in the current rules
An audit of both current documents found these issues. A conflict breaks or misstates a law or a higher rule. An ambiguity can be read more than one way. A missing item is something the law expects that the text leaves out. A record issue is a problem with the published copy or its history.
| Type | High | Medium | Low | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conflict | 9 | 14 | 2 | 25 |
| Ambiguity | 1 | 45 | 74 | 120 |
| Missing | 0 | 22 | 35 | 57 |
| Record | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Total | 10 | 91 | 118 | 219 |
How to use the reader
- Pick a version to read, and a version to compare with.
- Choose Text, Redline or Side by side.
- Click a topic's heading to show or hide its redline.
- The note on the right follows the topic you are reading. On a phone, tap Explain.
- Use Copy link to share one topic, with the comparison you chose.